Motorola's LapDock could be Google's next ChromeBook

Google's acquisition of Motorola could produce improved ChromeBooks

Android certainly doesn't need any help when it comes to the smartphone market, but tablets are another story.

However, a new report predicts that the search giant may be looking to its Motorola acquisition to help on this front.

Google's great white hope may lie in its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola -- and in particular, the manufacturer's LapDock accessory, which is capable of converting a smartphone into a notebook computer.

From LapDock to Google ChromeBook

Motorola's Android-powered Atrix 4G handset slips neatly into the LapDock accessory to convert it into a Linux-powered notebook, but the experience proved awkward and sluggish for many users.

The solution could be Chrome OS, which could breathe new life into Motorola's hardware while giving a much-needed boost to Google's sagging mobile OS.

With ChromeBooks priced around $420, a Google-Motorola tie-up around Chrome OS could see the hardware price plummet, since a required smartphone would handle most of the processing and data connectivity.

Chrome OS requires an Internet connection to bring the browser-based operating system to life, and where better to pull such data than from a user's existing smartphone?

The LapDock/Google ChromeBook is just speculation right now, but this could be a situation where companies and consumers benefit from this union.